Home is Where the Heart is
by AemiliaeHistoriam
Summary: Frank has lived his life hearing all sorts of myths and legends from his mother and grandmother. Now that both of them are gone, he still has bits and pieces of them as a person implanted inside his soul - he just doesn't realize it. Can he realize that home is still in his grasp even though it's gone physically? Sequel to The Meaning of Death. Rated T to be safe.
1. Over the Bridge

**Hi, I thought I'd write a sequel to ****The Meaning of Death****. :) Enjoy. This might be...a disappointment to some, but I hope not. This one was awfully hard to write. **

** There may have a few spoilers to House of Hades, but I don't think that's a problem for most people XD.**

** DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HETALIA OR HEROES OF OLYMPUS :)**

_Frank never liked being reminded of fire - even if Leo HAD made him a fireproof pouch._

He especially didn't like looking at the spot where his old home had burned down a few months ago. The tall trees seemed to cave in towards him, as if they were trying to say _You humans step on our plants so we'll start the Swiss Domino effect on you! _But Frank shouldn't have applied. He wasn't human...No, he was the bastard son of the war god - Mars. He never wanted to be the son of Mars, but as they say you can't choose your parents.

But there probably wasn't any point in throwing a fit, and/or sobbing his eyes out, since the gods would just laugh at him later. What was the point of even having a dad if he wasn't even around to visit? For most of his life, his father had meant nothing to him...Until now...

_ And about his relatives on his mom's side? They were probably just as bad._

Grandma Zhang was odd, always bugging Frank with Chinese idioms and myths. And even though she scolded and chastised him endlessly, he could never figure out what happened to her, though he suspected she had died a few days after the fire, or maybe she burned down with it - he didn't really want to know.

But now here he was, looking for a sign of any life - especially one old lady related to Frank that might still be alive.

_"You, the great Fai Zhang, might save the world and you're worrying about what happened to me?!" _His grandmother would scoff if she was still alive.

Frank smiled at the notion, almost forgetting what he had come here for. _Well there's gotta be nothing worse than having your Chinese-loving grandmother at your throat. _He joked to himself. _Maybe even facing more of those monsters would be better than seeing her again!_

Maybe he was relieving stress with these jokes, or maybe he just needed to have fun for once. Whatever it was, Frank did feel more relaxed than before...Not. Even though he didn't believe in that kind of stuff, maybe his grandmother's ghost _could _curse him...That thought gave him the chills. He didn't need _TWO _great weaknesses! _Gods, _one was a big enough burden.

The wind pounded his cheeks as he started his circle around the forest for the nth time. It was starting to get dark, he noted. It would be bad if he got lost. So he started to trudge back towards civilization, trying to take his time getting there. Even though it wasn't snowing, the trees were big enough to trip on - plus he had to worry about getting so wrapped up in thought that he fell off a bridge.

_That would undoubtedly be really bad._

_But how could he not be worried about...well...certain things? _

The first problem was a norm for him - Fire. He obviously didn't want to die too early. Maybe when he was in his nineties he would build a nice fire with his piece of wood by accident, but hopefully not soon. You all know Frank's worries about that. I don't need to go through it.

But the biggest problem to the seven of the prophecy was this: After Nico Di Angelo had traveled to Venice, his hometown. He had been attacked and almost eaten by cyclopi until two suspicious beings came to the rescue. Nico said they had claimed to be "personifications of countries" and "the legacies of Mars".

_ This was getting pretty fishy. _

They had treated him to pasta and then chatted with him for an afternoon or two and Nico came back a changed man. He later said the younger one reminded him of his mother. He said death was no match for home and the hypnotic sound of lullabies sung in Italian.

Frank knew he didn't want to run into any of these beings - especially the "personifications" of his home. What if the personifications themselves turned evil and then used citizens from their country to do evil? That thought chilled Frank to the bone...What if...

He felt himself falling...off the suspension bridge. He should've paid more attention to where he was going. He probably wouldn't die but...

Frank immediately turned into a Steller's Jay before he could fall. How that bird had come to mind was unknown to him.

"You're going to fall if you keep thinking so deeply." A soft voice told him.

Frank, even though he was now fully aware of the danger he had just managed to escape, had trouble pinpointing where the voice came from at first - but then he noticed the man standing nonchalantly on the other side of the bridge.

The first thing Frank noticed was that the man seemed to pull at Frank's thoughts like a magnet - and not the souvenir kind you put on your fridge either. The second thought was...well...This guy was holding a _polar bear_. It wasn't the gigantic kind that could tear you apart if it wanted to - but it was _still_ a polar bear. Frank decided it was best not to be in bird form and changed back.

"Down, Kumazawa." The man talked to the bear as if it were a dog. "You're scaring him."

The bear, Kumazawa, immediately whimpered.

"I'm not scared of your polar bear." Frank said. "I-I..."

"So then you're scared of me, eh?" The man adjusted his glasses, his eyes glowing violet under its shine. "That's interesting."

Frank drew his bow warily. This stranger was creeping him out. How many myths told of monsters with glowing eyes and pet polar bears? _Zilcho. _

But then he recalled Nico's tale of the strange beings he had encountered - the personifications of countries. Nico _had_ lectured us on their dangerous magnetism. He trusted the ones he had met, since they were cowards and demigods themselves (Frank didn't think that was a very god argument), but he wasn't sure about the others - or if there even were more. Frank didn't know, but this could be one of them. "Are you...?"

"Yes, I am." The man responded, as if reading Frank's thoughts.

Frank waited, but the stranger didn't seem to have anything else to say.

_The silence was only muddled by the sound of the wind._

"W-Which country?"

_"Canada." _

The man's serene face made Frank want to cry so badly. He had no idea why, but the man seemed to have that strange affect on him. He felt as if centuries of wisdom had been thrown upon him with no avail. He'd probably never be the same again - disturbed and insane from the encounter...But...Not in a bad way - if that was even possible.

Then he realized why: Like Iris, the crazy goddess who served green tea filled with weat-germ and threw ding-dongs at monsters, this man had the same smile as his mother. That plus the feeling of home was too much for Frank.

He knew he should be strong for the quest, that he was the whole reason everyone was still alive - or so Mars and Juno said - but...

_ Frank's breath left like a fire without oxygen._

**Okay...That ending was lame. I'm sorry for making Frank seem weak there...but c'mon! All heroes have their weaknesses! **

** And about Canada...-nervous laugh-. I like to think about him as a country with a creepy psychopath exterior from all the hate he gets - but is actually a very friendly person. Again, I twisted his personality DX Sorry. And yes, Kumajiro was a little strange...I originally planned that Frank and Matthew would drink hot chocolate together, but that got cut out...Maybe...I don't know. Tell me what you think :)**

** As for the scenery, I have never been to the Lynn Canyon Park (or whatever it's called). Nor have I been to BC in the Fall. My friend Ami helped me with that, since she lives in BC. Thank you! )**

** Next chapter coming up! **


	2. Hot Chocolate and Brownies

**Thank you for all of the favorites and follows on this fic! :D I really appreciated it! :D Please keep it up! I haven't gotten many reviews on **_**WHY**_** you like the fic though. If you have time, please review?**

** So a few people asked me if I could have a nice Canada/Frank chat, so this is what I came up with XD I apologize that Kumajiro is quite a bit out of character here but it fit pretty well in the fic. **

** DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN CANADA'S HOMEMADE HOT CHOCOLATE XD NOR DO I OWN EITHER OF THESE FANDOMS.**

Frank woke up in hot water..._Literally..._

Well...Not exactly_ in_ hot water...But the cup of brown, delicious-smelling liquid in front of his face did startle him.

_Let's just say the spilled hot chocolate on his fully woke him up._

"_Gods!_" Frank hissed as he bolt upright from his spot on a pile of cushions and tried to stop the pain. That's when he noticed three things.

The first thing he noticed - rather slowly to tell you the truth - was that his surroundings had changed drastically. He was lying on a couch that covered one side of a small but cozy room - mostly likely the living room since it had a large fireplace at the foot of the couch.

The second thing was that he probably stained the moose blanket next to him with hot chocolate.

Third was..._Well_...To put it as normally as possible...there was a _white polar bear_ sitting three feet away from his face.

This sort of thing shouldn't have surprised a demigod but this was plain _weird_.

"_Oops!_ I'm sorry! Did I scare you?!" The polar bear asked, setting the cup down and rushing to clean up the mess. Its voice was squeaky and high pitched, but it reminded Frank - surprisingly - of a defiant toddler - bugging his/her/its mother for candy. "Don't worry! I'll clean it up for you! You're a guest! Relax a little!"

Frank was too startled to do anything but stare open mouthed as the bear ran around - fetching dish cloths and mopping up the brown puddle on the floor. "Y-y-y-y-your..."

The polar bear gave Frank a scathing look and put its hands (paws?) on its hips (?). "Yes, I am a polar bear. Yes, I can speak. Surprised much?! Well, you shouldn't be. _Get used to it!_"

"I-I wasn't going to say anything about that." Frank stuttered, trying to remain calm. Was there a monster that turned into a cute, mini polar bear that had an attitude problem?! He doubted Camp Jupiter mentioned that in lessons.

The polar bear shrugged and busied itself cleaning up Frank's shirt. "I'll get used to it." It muttered to itself. "Since we need to open up to demigods more, I think I'll be getting a lot of that."

"D-do you have a name?" Frank asked tentatively.

"Of course I have a name!" The bear snapped. "Now quit eavesdropping!" He ignored Frank for the rest of the time they were in the same room.

Frank's head spun. _What was he supposed to do now?_ He was still dizzy and in pain from the spill as well as stunned. Was he forgetting some great myth that everyone else knew? _If it was possible for him to feel any more stupid..._

"Is he awake, Kumayashi?" That same disturbing but heart-warming voice asked from the other room. Canada stepped into the room - a dish cloth around his neck and a tray of brownies in his hands.

"That's not my name!" The polar bear pouted. "Kumajiro! K-U-M-A-J-I-R-O! Get it right."

The blonde ignored his pet and turned to a still-shocked Frank Zhang and inclined his head the slightest bit. "Hail Frank Zhang - Praetor of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata."

He said this familiar greeting as if mocking Frank...In a mocking tone...But Frank didn't sense any mockery in it. It was weirdly ironic but...It made sense somehow.

"H-how do you k-know me?" Frank attempted to sound brave.

_ He obviously failed._

"We know these things." Canada said, smiling the slightest bit. "If we didn't how could we call ourselves representatives?"

"Y-you know everyone in your country...or something?" Frank asked, wincing at how stupid he sounded.

"We know about everyone in our countries. I've met each one of them at least once...But..." He sighed, his purple eyes drooping a bit. "They usually never remember afterwords. It's sort of our curse. The people faint from our auras or stay in a trance and forget. It's lonely..."

Frank didn't know what to say for the nth time that day. He was sure he wasn't going to go into a trance or lose his memory. In fact, he felt as if he'd never sleep again - that he'd lie awake for eternity. It was like a bomb had just exploded and he'd stay awake to make sure another one didn't.

"Oh I see." He managed. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"We get used to it. _It's part of our duty._"

There was that word again. _Duty_.

Duty was overlooked, and Frank knew it. Duty barely came into the minds of anyone these days. But as a demigod, he would have to be different.

His father had told him that there would come a time when Frank would have to remind Percy, the great Greek hero who had stumbled into camp so long ago, about his duty to..._well_, I guess the world! It felt strange to Frank to be called the hero for once. He was so used to_ Jason_ or _Percy_ getting the glory that sometimes he felt overlooked.

"I see."

"But I'm not the worst case. I'm very young for a country. If you want to meet overly-burdened countries you'd better go visit where your ancestors came from."

Frank didn't exactly know what he meant but he decided not to question the nation. Did Canada want him to go to _Italy_? Or _Greece_? "Okay..."

"Anyways!" Canada clapped his hands, the smile returning to his face. "You can call me Matthew. I better make you some more hot chocolate since Kumayana spilled it all over you."

"KUMAJIRO!" The bear's annoyed voice came from the kitchen.

Matthew sighed. "Anyways, help yourself to the brownies and if you need me just call."

And with that, Canada headed off to the kitchen - leaving Frank once again wrapped up in thoughts.

_ Okay then...That was weird._

**So I was wondering if I should have another Canada and Frank chapter or take him to China already XD Opinions please?**

** I know this chapter ended rather fast but I believe it fit properly. **

** Thank you guys :D I really appreciate you reading this :)**


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